1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tool bar attachment for agricultural combines and more particularly to a folding tool bar for adapting a planting system to agricultural combines. The folding tool bar attaches to the front of the combine and permits various planting and transporting configurations.
2. Summary of Related Art
An agricultural combine is one of the most expensive pieces of equipment owned by a farmer. The combine is designed primarily for harvesting wheat, beans, corn, and other grains. Although the combine is absolutely essential for harvesting grain, the utilization factor for a combine is quite low if combine use is limited to a few weeks per year for harvesting.
Therefore, it is desirable to utilize this expensive asset for additional agricultural uses other than harvesting. Planting is an ideal area where the combine can be effectively utilized outside of harvesting. A planter attachment for a combine presents an opportunity to use the combine at a time when it normally sits idle. An effective planting attachment for a combine must provide various planting row spacing arrays. It must also be at least as convenient to use as a conventional tractor drawn planting system.
The utilization of a combine for planting has been suggested in the prior art. Additionally, the concept of using a folding tool bar on planting systems is suggested. However, the use of a folding tool bar on combines is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,988 to Harlan discloses a planter implement for mounting on the front of a combine. The tool bar is attached to the cutter head attachment on the throat of the combine. The planter implement is interposed between the throat and the cutter means. The tool bar has three segments. A center bar is mounted to the throat of the combine and side bars extend from both ends of the center bar. The implement is designed to use while harvesting so that as one crop is harvested, a new crop is being planted. The discharge of the combine then provides ground cover for the planted seeds.
The attachment of the planting device disclosed in Harlan involves a segmented tool bar connected to the cutter attachment on the throat of the combine. The throat on combines is flexible in order to harvest uneven ground. Attaching a heavy apparatus to the throat could seriously damage the throat and render the combine inoperable. The tool bar claimed in Harlan is also limited to a narrow path that is roughly the width of the combine.
Additionally, the planter in Harlan was designed for simultaneously harvesting one crop while planting another. Therefore, the storage bin on the combine holds the harvested crop and not the seed for planting. This causes additional stops in the field for unloading the harvested crops and loading additional seed into the planting units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,954 to Kirwan discloses a front mounted tool carrier bar. The bar is connected to the front of the tractor and pushed by the tractor. The tool bar is front folding to facilitate transportation of the planting unit to and from the field. The tool bar makes up a push planting unit that has a self supported frame with ground engaging wheels.
It would be advantageous to have a tool bar for attaching a planting system to the front of a combine in order to provide additional uses for the combine other than harvesting. It would also be advantageous to have a tool bar for a combine that has various planting and transporting arrays. Additionally, it would be advantageous to utilize the grain storage bin on the combine for holding seeds for planting thereby eliminating the inefficiencies associated with smaller seed storage capacities.